[Part 4/4]
...However, there wasn't really a large quantity of it, rather, the princess's twisted expression was much more powerful.
"Well, you see...although many lower-class youkai swords are like this, it doesn't necessarily bring blessings to their owners. Instead, many of them curse their owners in exchange for sharpness and strength."
Indeed, even the renowned Ako family are no exception to this. Take, for example, the snake sword wielded by the youngest daughter. With each rebellion of its previous owners, it has been broken and bent countless times, its spirit broken, and thus it complies, even without rebelling. And as for the youkai sword wielders of Akō, most of them only use it because it's durable. As for the sword inherited by the eldest son, it's a voracious eater that consumes most of the owner's spiritual power.
"Actually, this one's no different. It's said to have been unearthed from the treasure trove of a demon slain by our ancestors long ago... but it's been covered in dust ever since, all because of its curse."
With that, Onitsuki Hina swung the sword she held. Against her own shin. The blade shimmered as it traced an arc, and then, a moment later, blood gushed vigorously from Hina's shin. It was self-inflicted.
And from the shin of the demon, blood spattered in the same manner.
'Guahh!!?'
The unexpected situation made the demon nervous. Involuntarily, they lost their balance and half of their body sank into the water. The once white and cloudy surface of the water now turned red. the demon looked at their own legs, then at Hina. Hina smirked, even more sinisterly.
"As you can see, this is no ordinary sword. It connects the fates of its owner and the one it strikes. If it injures one side, the same place on the other side will be injured in the same way."
Perhaps it was a cunning souvenir for the demon who ruled the Onitsuki Valley. One member of the Onitsuki family, who had carefully received the sword, perished by its power, and finally, the Onitsuki family understood its nature. They understood and sealed it away deep in their storehouse as a troublesome item.
"Of course, I don't think it's completely useless. There are ways to use it, like risking a fight against a stronger opponent, exploiting the size difference, or even using it as a sacrificial pawn."
Instead, it might prove that there was still some humanity left in the Onitsuki family. Just the bare minimum, though.
"Named 'Kyouran Sword (Chaos).' Ah, sorry. It takes time for it to fully connect fates. So I had a little chat with it, mixing words and all... Surprisingly, it worked out quite well. I managed with some practice against mid-tier youkai opponents."
Hinata tilted her head and smirked, even more sinisterly.
She didn't know. The reason the demon stopped moving wasn't because of words, but because of the ominous madness she carried.
The ominous curse she carried.
"Now then, let's finish this off."
Hinata's body was engulfed in blue flames, resembling Will-o'-the-Wisps. These flames seemed to erase the wound on her shin with a force of 'annihilation.' Her shin was cut. Then the other one. The demon's legs suffered the same fate. Unlike Hinata, the demon's wounds would never heal.
'Gwaaaah!?'
"I'm sorry, but this sword only binds wounds. It is beyond its scope to heal scars."
With a hint of pity, Hina spoke. And then, she thrust the sword into her stomach... creating a horizontal cross and the demon's scream happened simultaneously. Blood sprayed out. With her lips tinted red, Hina remained calm. Calmly, she parted her bright red lips. The alluring shade of her bright red lips squirmed.
"Well then, farewell."
As the girl forcefully pushed the sword into her mouth, the demon's consciousness was extinguished at the same time.
'Ggh!!'
Am I death? How long had it taken? The demon though so as they regained consciousness. The redness of the demon's face reflected in the hot water was now bluer than before regaining consciousness. It wasn't just a loss of blood. It indicated the remaining power of this demon. When a drunkard's red face turns blue like a dead person, it is the demon's final moment. And...
"Well, you woke up surprisingly late, didn't you?"
'GAAAAAAAGGGHH!!!'
A nonchalant, deep-black inquiry thrown at them. Both legs submerged in the hot spring split open again. They looked ahead, seeing the figure of a woman who had also cut her legs. The clothes and the ground were covered in crimson blood, proving that everything before losing consciousness was not an illusion.
The reason for cutting both legs was to prevent escape and retaliation. And the demon had already anticipated what was to come next. They attempted to throw their massive barbaric sword. She responded by cutting off her own arm. One large and one small arm fell to the ground, one by one. It was entertainment.
"That."
With a casual tone, she slit her own throat, performing seppuku. Falling backward in the same manner, the demon collapsed. They woke up again, their legs slashed, screaming in agony.
"You still won't die like this? Well then, shall I try cutting off your head next?"
In the next moment, the demon's head was deeply severed, a beheading. Hina's delicate white neck and the demon's thick neck fell at the same time. The demon awakened, jumped, but it was too late. The demon stumbled as if rolling, sinking into the hot water, consciousness fading. The body was stabbed in the heart. However, perhaps it's better for the demon, as they can deceive their death by hiding underwater...
"Aren't you dead yet?"
Their hope was shattered as several curse tools, many of them hidden in Hina's clothes beforehand, pulled the demon up. These tools, which teleported in tandem with Hina's teleportation ability, lifted the demon above the water's surface. A knee kick to the face, combined with the awakening of consciousness, sent the demon tumbling all the way to the land beyond the reach of the hot water. They couldn't maintain any psychological composure to take a passive stance.
And then, the legs were cut again. A pained scream, perhaps for the umpteenth time, echoed...
"Oh? Your face is turning blue? Are you really that afraid of dying? You're a funny one for someone who's also immortal, aren't you?"
'There's no way that's the case. Maybe that's an indicator of their lifespan or something. At this rate, maybe four or five more times?'
Hina smirked as the woodpecker's shikigami (Shisui?) rhythm spoke matter-of-factly. The blade's tip pointed toward the woman. The demon roared as if to stop her.
"Hmm. I see. Yours is a lineage with a lifespan, huh?"
The shikigami's words seemed to satisfy her, and then she tore open her chest, her organs crushed. At the same time, the demon's chest also crushed and they faint. After a few moment, the demon woke up, their legs severed, looking at the woman, a bloodied woman. Seeing the woman draped in blood, fire, and death, they trembled in fear.
"Indeed, maybe just a few more times? Well then, let's finish this quickly. It's just a matter of immobilizing... But I guess it wouldn't matter if I just killed you outright, right?"
With a mocking laugh, Onitsuki Hina wiped the fresh blood from her lips and mercilessly swung her youkai blade.
'GRRROOOOARRR!!!"
The anguished scream echoed. Over and over, repeating. It was as if it was showing the demon's own destiny.
It seemed that the demon child would need a little more time to escape from this endless hell...
It was at the same time that the demon were crying out.
Her feathers fluttered, black feathers stained with fresh blood floating down. The Tengu fell.
"Kaede...!!?"
"Prepare yourself, slow down...!!"
A shout of warning was returned in response to the scream. The female Tengu adjusted her course with one wing, narrowly avoiding crashing into the hot spring. She slowed down by catching onto the branches of the forest, finally managing a soft landing. It was a miraculous feat, a matter of Tengu's pride.
The moment of destruction was delayed.
"Whew...!!?"
Caught by the branches and leaves stretching in all directions, the Tengu successfully landed on a tree, using them as a cushion. But that's all it was.
One of Kaede's wing was broken and twisted as if torn out. It was a pitiful, miserable sight. With wings like these, she could no longer fly. At least, not without proper care. The pain must have been intense, as tears filled her eyes.
"Fudge, ugh...!!"
Biting down on her teeth in pain, the Tengu glared fiercely at her own broken wing.
Towards the enemy of the Tengu brethren...
(Hmm, quite a flavorful chicken wing, isn’t it? The tastiest one I’ve had so far. I shall give you a compliment.)
Crunching the wing while looking down on the humans and Tengu caught in the trees, the giant snake sneered.
(Well now, can you see the end approaching? Come on, you puny beings, show me what you've got. How will you turn the tables from here?)
As if expecting a response, the god-blooded snake hissed...
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